'Vishwaroopam' issue: Jaya defends ban

CHENNAI: Facing all-round criticism for the ban on Kamal Haasan's " Vishwaroopam", Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa today strongly defended the action, citing threats of violence but said her government would facilitate an amicable settlement if both the actor and Muslim groups come together.

Her intervention was immediately welcomed by the Tamil film fraternity, amid reports of back channel efforts to pave the way to release the Rs 100 crore movie.

Breaking her silence a week after the ban exploded into a national controversy, she said it was based on Intelligence inputs of likely violence and to maintain law and order.

Jayalalithaa said she has no "personal grudge" against Hassan or "personal interest" in the ban, a day after the actor threatened to take self-imposed exile in a secular place in the country, excluding Tamil Nadu, or overseas.

She said the threat to law and order was "very real" and many Muslim groups had announced a series of agitations and the primary objective of the government was to maintain peace and tranquillity. "We relied on Intelligence inputs..."

"As chief minister of Tamil Nadu, my first and foremost priority is maintenance of law and order and to ensure public peace in which people can carry on with their daily lives and work," she said, citing inadequate manpower to provide security at 524 theatres where the film was to be screened.

"How is it practically possible for the state government to provide protection to 524 theatres and maintain law and order when we do not have adequate manpower," she asked, pointing out that 31,440 police personnel would have been required for deployment in all the theatres in three shifts.

Finding fault with Haasan, she said government had made a request to him to show the movie to a few representatives of the Muslim organisations. "Had he done it, the problem would have been avoided. But he avoided showing the movie."

"If Muslim organisations and Kamal Hassan are ready to sit down and work out an amicable agreement, if he agrees to delete certain portions that are objectionable, then the decks would be cleared for screening of the movie, then Tamil Nadu government will do that to facilitate such an amicable settlement."